Weevils Play Tough Over Break

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Photo by Will Collins

Net - Junior Nate Newell (far left) sinks a free throw during the SAU game. The win lifted the Weevils above .500 in GSC play.

Paul Smith
Sports Information Director

WEEVILS WIN THRILLER OVER MULERIDERS

   J.B. Williams (Jr., Compton, Calif.) scored 15 points to lead the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils (10-6, 3-2 GSC) to a 53-50 victory over the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders Jan. 19 at Steelman Fieldhouse.

   The Muleriders held a lead until the 10:09 mark of the opening half, when Ron McGrew (Sr., Inkster, Mich.) hit a lay-up to put the Weevils ahead (15-14), and UAM continued with an overall 11-0 run to extend their lead to seven (21-14) with 5:13 left.

   UAM pushed their lead to 30-19 as time expired in the opening half.

   The Muleriders took charge in the opening minutes of the half, eventually pulling to within two (45-43) with 6:35 left. The Weevils pushed ahead, holding the Muleriders at arm’s length down the stretch. SAU’s Brandon Bealer hit a three to decrease the UAM lead to one (51-50) with two seconds left, but SAU quickly fouled Williams who hit a pair of free throws with two tenths of a second left to ice the Weevil victory.

   Williams’ 15 points led all players. DeMarcus Wilson (Sr., Lancaster, Texas) grabbed 10 boards to lead all players.

   UAM returns to action Monday, Jan. 23 as they travel to Conway to face Central Arkansas at the Farris Center at 8 p.m.

SHOOTING WOES DOOM WEEVILS

CLEVELAND, MS - The Boll Weevils shot just 37.0 percent from the floor as they fell 73-58 to the No. 15 Delta State University Statesmen (12-1, 3-0 GSC) Jan. 12 at Walter Sillers Coliseum.

   The Weevils opened the game strong, holding a lead over the first eight minutes before the Statesmen finally eased past the Weevils. The two teams traded leads until the 9:42 mark, when Delta State’s Jeremy Richardson buried a three-pointer that started a 12-1 run, giving DSU an 11-point lead (29-18) with 6:13 remaining. UAM was unable to close the gap by any significant distance and the Statesmen cruised into the half with a 10-point (38-28) lead.

   The Weevils seized momentum in the first five minutes of the second half; after the Statesmen eased ahead by 14 (44-30) with 18:08 remaining, the Weevils went on a 10-0 run to pull to within four (44-40) with 16:03 remaining in the contest.

   The Statesmen responded with a back-breaking 27-6 run, giving DSU a 25-point (71-46) lead with 6:39 remaining. UAM was able to rally over the last few minutes, but the deficit was too great to overcome and the Statesmen claimed the victory.

   Nate Newell (Jr., Monticello) scored a team-high 16 points in the loss, while Williams added 10 points. Billy McDaniel (Sr., Hearne, Texas) had 10 rebounds to lead UAM.

   The Delta State tandem of Jeremy Richardson and Southern Mississippi transfer Jasper Johnson scored 24 and 20 points, respectively, en route to double-doubles.

   The two teams were nearly even in virtually every statistical category, with DSU’s lone advantage coming in the area of three-pointers made, hitting nine to UAM’s five.

WEEVILS DROP HEARTBREAKER TO HARDING

   Despite a 27-point night from Williams and a double-double from McDaniel, the Boll Weevils were unable to overcome a stingy Harding defense, dropping a 79-73 heartbreaker Jan. 9 at Steelman Fieldhouse.

   The two teams traded leads, but the Weevils were able to take a five-point (24-19) lead with 3:51 remaining after a Williams lay-up, but Harding finished the half on a 12-2 run to go into the intermission with a 31-26 lead.

   UAM seized the momentum in the second half, pushing ahead by eight (59-51) with 8:56 remaining; but Harding took advantage of the Weevils’ foul trouble, tying the game with 6:57 left (61-61) and taking the lead shortly thereafter. The Bisons never looked back and pushed ahead by as many as seven with under a minute left.

   Williams’ 27 points led all players, while McDaniel and Torre Doty (Jr., Austin, Texas) added 14 points apiece. Newell added 13 points to round out the double-figure scorers. McDaniel added 11 boards.

   Lonnie Smith led Harding with 27 points.

WEEVILS SURVIVE LATE SCARE, TOP REDDIES

ARKADELPHIA - Williams and Newell scored a game-high 26 points each as the Boll Weevils survived a late Henderson State rally, winning 74-65 Jan. 7 at the Duke Wells Center.

The Weevils led by as many as 23 (53-30) with 10:28 remaining, but the Reddies cut the UAM lead to five (70-65) with 44 seconds left.

   The Weevils opened the contest on a 10-0 run over the first 13:55, but were unable to hold the momentum as HSU pulled to within one (17-16) with 3:19 remaining. The Weevils pushed ahead again, extending their lead to eight on a jumper by McGrew with 47 seconds left, and UAM would carry the lead into the half.

   UAM held HSU to 25 percent shooting (5-of-20) in the opening half.

   The Weevils started the second half fast and furious, scoring the half's first nine points to take a 37-20 lead with 16:49 remaining. UAM pushed their lead to 23 before the Reddies began their late rally.

   The win marks the first time that the Boll Weevils have won three consecutive games over the Reddies since the 1991-92 and 92-93 seasons.

   Joining Williams and Newell in double figures was Brandon Mayweather (Sr., Crossett, Ark.) with 10 points. Wilson led all players with 11 rebounds.

   Williams was a perfect 16-of-16 from the free-throw line, while the Weevils converted on 39 of 42 trips to the charity stripe.

WEEVILS OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY WITH WIN OVER ARKANSAS TECH

   Williams led all players with 27 points and 13 rebounds as the Boll Weevils knocked off the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys in both teams' Gulf South Conference opener, winning 87-68 Jan. 5 at Steelman Fieldhouse.

   The Boll Weevils led by just two (9-7) with just under five minutes gone in the opening half, when they seized momentum, extending their lead to 30-15 with 5:39 remaining in the half. The Wonder Boys responded with a 15-4 run to pull to within four (34-30), and the Weevils were able to add a basket before going into the intermission.

   Arkansas Tech pulled to within one point twice in the first five minutes of the second half, but the Weevils responded, edging ahead by 10 (62-52) with just under 10 minutes to play. The Weevils would cruise the rest of the way, with the game’s final 19-point margin serving as UAM’s biggest lead of the night.

   Newell added 20 points, while Wilson and McDaniel added 16 and 14 points, respectively.

   Williams added a game-high 13 rebounds and six assists.

WEEVILS RING IN NEW YEAR WITH ROUT OF CENTRAL BAPTIST

   Wilson narrowly missed posting a triple-double after scoring 13 points, 11 rebounds and dishing out six assists and Newell posted his second consecutive 30+ point effort, scoring 34 points as the Boll Weevils routed Central Baptist, winning 106-49 Jan. 2 at Steelman Fieldhouse.

   The Weevils opened the game hot, opening the contest on a 22-5 run over the first seven minutes. The Mustangs closed the gap with a 13-0 swing, pulling to within 22-18 just three minutes later before the Weevils were able to pull away again, extending their lead to 20 on a three by Williams as time expired in the first half.

   UAM held a 25-14 rebounding edge in the opening half.

   The Weevils continued their run in the second half, opening the half on a 14-2 run to take a 32-point lead (61-29) with 14:18 remaining; and the Weevils cruised to the victory. The game-ending 57-point margin was UAM’s biggest lead of the game.

   Newell’s 34 points led all scorers, while McDaniel added 17 points, Williams added 14, Wilson added 13 and Mayweather scored 12 points. UAM held a 52-39 rebounding advantage for the contest, and forced 22 Mustang turnovers while committing only 10. Newell added a team-high eight assists, while Williams added seven.

   CBC’s Tym Edwards led the Mustangs with 17 points.

NEWELL'S BIG NIGHT PROPELS WEEVILS PAST WILDCATS

GREEN BAY, WI --- Newell -scored a game-high 37 points after hitting 10 three-pointers to lead the Boll Weevils to their second straight victory, a 78-69 victory over the Northern Michigan Wildcats Dec. 30 in the finale of the Oneida Casino Holiday Classic hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

   NMU held the Weevils at arm's length in the opening minutes, taking a 3-2 lead with just under a minute gone in the opening half on a three-pointer by Will Washington and led until the 7:31 mark, when Williams drained a three-pointer to knot the game at 27-27; and the Weevils took the lead just seconds later when Newell hit a three. The two teams traded leads as the half wound down, and Newell nailed another three as time expired to send UAM into the half with a four-point lead.

   UAM opened the second half on a 17-4 run to push their lead to 17 (56-39), and seemed poised to cruise to the victory until the Wildcats began to rally. The Weevils held a 67-48 lead with 9:55 remaining, but NMU whittled away at the UAM lead with a 21-6 run, pulling to within four (73-69) with 1:07 remaining.

   On the next possession, Newell hit another three-pointer to give UAM a seven-point lead with 37 seconds left and the Weevils were able to hold the Wildcats at bay the rest of the way.

   Joining Newell in double figures were McDaniel and Williams, with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Mayweather and McGrew both snagged a game-high six rebounds.

   UAM held a 36-29 rebounding advantage and shot 48.1 percent from the floor, including a 58.3 percent mark in the second half.

WEEVILS DRUB DIVISION I ANTEATERS

GREEN BAY, WI -- Led by a 23 point effort by Williams, the Boll Weevils snapped a three-game losing streak with an 81-64 victory over the UC-Irvine Anteaters Dec. 29 in the opener of the Oneida Casino Holiday Classic.

   The win marks the second time a Division II squad has topped the Anteaters this season, after UC-Irvine posted a 10-point win over the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford in their third game of the season.

   The Weevils opened the contest hot, taking an early seven-point lead (12-5) with 14:31 remaining in the opening half. The Anteaters cut into the UAM lead, tying the game at 21-21 with 6:34 remaining in the half, before the Weevils pushed ahead yet again, taking an eight-point lead (34-26) on a three-pointer by Williams with just under two minutes to play in the opening half. UAM took a 36-32 lead into the intermission.

   Both teams slowed the game to a methodical pace over the first five minutes of the second half, when Newell gave the Weevils a nine-point (49-40) lead with a layup with 13:35 remaining.

   The Anteaters again surged, narrowing the UAM lead to two (53-51) before UAM went on a 10-2 run, capped by a Newell layup to extend their lead to 10 (63-53) with 7:53 remaining. UC-Irvine cut the UAM lead to five (66-61) after a three-pointer by Nic Campbell with 3:57 left, but the Weevils closed the contest on a 15-3 run to seal the victory.

   Williams' 23 points led all players, while Mayweather added 13 points. McDaniel and Newell also scored in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

   The Weevils held a 34-28 advantage on the rebounding glass, and connected on 23 of 27 free throws.

LOUISIANA STATE DROPS WEEVILS

LAS VEGAS, NV - The Boll Weevils fell 75-48 to the Southeastern Conference's LSU Tigers Dec. 22 in the finale of the Las Vegas Holiday Classic.

   The Weevils held a lead in the early going, taking a three-point lead (13-10) after a Doty jumper but the Tigers got on top with 10:15 remaining in the opening half as Glen Davis sunk a jumper to put LSU ahead 14-13. The Tigers started a 14-2 run to push their lead to nine (24-15), and extended their lead to 12 at halftime.

   The Tigers controlled the opening minutes of the second half, pushing ahead by as many as 25 (56-31) before the Weevils cut the LSU lead to 14 (59-45) with 5:33 remaining. The Tigers regrouped, closing the game on a 16-3 run to seal the victory.

   Newell led the Weevils with 16 points on 3-of-11 shooting, while McDaniel posted a game-high 11 rebounds. LSU's Darrel Mitchell scored a game-high 18 points.

   The Tigers held UAM to 28 percent (14-of-50) shooting from the floor, while shooting 43.5 percent. LSU held a 46-33 rebounding advantage.

WEEVILS FALL TO CINCINNATI

CINCINNATI, OH - Despite placing three players in double figures, the Boll Weevils were unable to overcome 12 three-pointers by the Cincinnati Bearcats, falling 84-63 Dec. 19 at Fifth Third Arena.

   The Bearcats opened the game with an 11-4 run, and pushed their lead to as many as 10 (19-9) with 12:04 remaining in the first half. UAM pulled to within five (25-20) after a layup by McGrew (but the Bearcats pushed ahead again and went into the intermission leading 38-28.

   Cincinnati connected on 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) three pointers in the first half.

   The Bearcats continued to surge as the second half opened, pushing their lead to 17 (48-31) with 17:39 remaining; and the Weevils would never recover.

   Newell led the Weevils with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while Doty added 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting and Mayweather added 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Mayweather led the Weevils with eight rebounds.

   Cincinnati's James White led all scorers with 18 points, while Jihad Muhammad and Eric Hicks added 15 points apiece, Devan Downey scored 13 points and Armein Kirkland scored 12.

DAYTON DEFENSE STOPS WEEVILS

DAYTON, OH - A stellar defensive showing by the Dayton Flyers coupled with a rare lackluster offensive performance spelled doom for the Boll Weevils, as they fell 63-46 to the Flyers Dec. 17 at the UD Arena.

   The Flyers opened the game on a 5-0 run, but the Weevils were able to pull to within one (8-7) with 11:58 remaining in the opening half on a McDaniel jumper in the key. The game slowed to a methodical pace, and the Weevils went into the half down 27-18.

   UAM shot 24 percent (6-of-25) from the floor in the first half, including an 0-9 performance from three-point range.

   Dayton pushed their lead to 12 (34-22) with 15:38 remaining in the second half, but the Weevils responded with a five-point swing to narrow the gap to seven (34-27) after a three-pointer by Wilson with 13:21 remaining. The Dayton lead was in single-digits as late as the 6:50 mark in the second half as the Flyers led 46-38; but Dayton closed the game after pushing their lead to as many as 20 (63-43) before Newell hit a three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining to narrow the final gap to 17.

   McDaniel led the Weevils with 17 points on 7-of-18 shooting with 9 rebounds; while Newell also scored in double figures with 10 points on 3-of-17 shooting.

   The Weevil offense shot 29.1 percent from the floor for the game; while the Atlantic 10 Conference’s Flyers were able to shoot 46.5 percent.

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